Street-car switch.



L. Z. PRESTON.

STREET CAR SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED 1 112.1, 1910.

986,858. Patented Mar.14, 1911.

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nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD Z. PRESTON, OF SCOTTSVILLE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0 1? ONE-HALF TO WHEELER W. LANGHREY, OF GLEN ELDER, KANSAS.

STREET-CAR SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD Z. PRESTON, citizen of the United States, residing at Scottsville, in the county of Mitchell and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Car Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that type of street car switch and operating means therefor, in which a treadle or treadles mounted upon the car platform operate certain point-directing shoes which depend below the car platform, and which, when the treadles are operated, are carried downward into position to engage the shiftable switch point to shift the same from one side to the other, depending upon which treadle is operated.

The object of my invention is to provide a very simple point-operating mechanism of the class described, which may be applied to any car of the usual construction, and which, as it moves downward, throws a shoe to one side or the other to wedge between the switch point and the adjacent rail to force the switch point over.

A minor object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which may be easily taken apart for repair or adjustment and in which the parts operate with a minimum of friction.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a street car provided with my switch-operating means; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch in position on a track; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation, partly sectional, of my switchoperating mechanism and a portion of the track; Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections,

showing the operation of my point-shifting.

shoes; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal conformation of the bracket in which the shoe-carrying plungers move, the figure also showing a fragmentary detail of one of the plungers in section; Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section of the upper end of one of the plungers; and, Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of one of the operating levers and foot pieces connected thereto.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these figures, m designates the platform of a car, and y the forward truck thereof.

Mounted forward of the front wheels or front truck is the two-part separable bracket 2, the two sections of which are designated respectively 2 and 2", these two sections being practically alike. Each of the sections is provided with the angularly projecting base flange 3 formed with slots 4 through which pass bolts 5 whereby the bracket may be laterally adjusted upon any suitable supporting plate. The two sections of the bracket are held to each other by bolts 6 which pass through the middle portion of the bracket, and by bolt 7 which passes through the outer end of the bracket. Each section of the bracket is formed with a semi-cylindrical bearing 8 so that when the two sections are placed together, two cylindrical passages are formed, extending practically downward through the bracket, the material of the bracket being enlarged at this point. The lower end of each of the recessed portions 8 is formed with a shoulder 9. The bearings or passages are for the reception of operating plungers, one of which operates the switch point in one direction, while the other operates the switch point in the reverse direction. In order to distinguish these passages or bearings from each other, I have designated them respectively 8 and 8". One wall of the passage 8 is provided with a downwardly extending slot or groove 10 which at its lower end is extended downwardly and rearwardly, as at 11. The opposite wall of the passage 8 is also provided with a like slot 12 which at its lower end is turned downwardly and rearwardly, as at 13.

Operating in the passages 8 and 8 are the plungers 14. These plungers are precisely alike, and each consists of a cylindrical portion 15 which is adapted to fill the cylindrical passage 8. Below this cylindrical portion 1 1, the plunger is reduced, and there surrounded with a coil spring 17, the lower end of which bears against the shoulder 9 of the bearing passage. The lower extremity of the reduced portion 16 is screwthreaded, as at 18, for engagement with a collar 19. By rotating the collar, it will be obvious that it may be adjusted upward or downward upon the'reduced shank 16. In order to hold the collar fixed in position, I

have provided it with a set screw 20 whereby it may be locked wherever desired. The

, lower extremity of the shank 16 is angular in cross section and fits into a slot formedin a wedge-shaped shoe 21 whose exact shape willbe later described. Theupper end of the" plunger, above the portion 15, is reduced, as at 22, and formed with an outwardly projecting flange 23 which is cutaway at two opposed points. The upper end ofthe plunger is provided with a circumferential whose inside face is also provided with a racewayengagingwith the balls 26.

,Inorder. to turn the plunger the portion 15: thereof is provided with the outwardly projecting stud 30. This stud or lug is .adapted to fit in the groove 10, and thus when the plunger is depressed, it will be seen that the plunger will follow said groove 10 and that when the plunger has nearly reached its lowest point of travel, it will be turned, by reasonof the angularflower pertion 11 of the groove 10. Inasmuch as the grooves 10 and 12 are placed opposite to each other on the bearing passages 8* and 8*.

respectively, it will be obvious. that one of the plungers will be turned in one direction, while the other plunger will-be turned in the other direction, upon each depression of u the plungers. 1

Passing transversely through the cap 27 is the pin 32'which projects out beyond the capand has pivotal engagement with a link 33-. 1 This link is pivotally attached to an angular lever 34 which is pivotally mounted independing bearings 35. The pivotpin 36 passes through these bearings and through one leg of the angular lever '34. The extremity of this leg 34 is reduced in thickness and extends into a slot formedin the extremity of a longitudinallyextending link 7 .37'which extends upwardly and forwardly beneath the bottom of the ear and at its forwardend is-slott ed for the reception of the reduced end of a vertical lever 38 which is pivoted upon the car platform in any suitable manner. The upper face of each lever 37-, at its forward end, is concaved, as at 39,

to work againstthe convex'shoulder 40 of the body of the'lever 38. p

Mounted upon the upper face of the platform are the upwardly projecting standards 41 in which is pivoted a lever 42 whose lower end is connected by a link 43 to the upper end of the lever 38. The upper end of the lever 42 is preferably reduced for engagement in a slot 44 formed in a foot piece 45; This slot 44 is much longer than thedepth of the'lever 42 so as to allow the foot piece free pivotal movement upon the lever 42.

In order to hold the foot piece in a proper position upon the upper end of the lever 42, and yet allow it to accommodate itself to the movement of the foot, I provide the under side ofthe foot piece with the projecting pin 46 which is adapted to move into a slot 47 formed in the lever 42. Aspring 48 surrounds this pin 46 and is interposed between the under side of the foot piece and the upper end of the lever 42. This spring tends tocforce that end of the foot piece upwardly, the movement of the foot piece in this direction being limited by a stop 49 which is attached to the other side of the lever 42. It will be seen that with mechanism as heretofore described, a depression of the foot piece, causes the lever 42 to turn,draws upon the link 43, oscillates the lever 38, which in turn draws upon the link37, and operates the angular lever 34 which "in turn depresses the attached plunger so as to move the shoe 21 downward into position to engage the switch point, and that as the shoe moves downward, the plunger will be rotated through an arc of a circle, and the pointed end of the shoe will be thrown to the right or left, depending upon which of the shoes is depressed. It

is also, to be pointed out that the return movement of the shoes is accomplished by reason of the springs which act to move the plunger upward immediately pressure upon the foot piece .is relieved. To prevent damage to the shoes 21 by the shoes striking against the under face of the supporting bracket 2, I have provided the adjustable collars 19. These, as before described, may be screwed up to any desired position, and thus act as stops to limit the upward movement of the plungers and atthe same time are adapted to receive shock incident to the rise of the shoe. The shoe may be adjusted upward or downward upon the shank of the plunger by means of a set screw 21 I j The switch is shown in Fig. 2, and in this figure, A designates the main track rails, B the angular guard rail, C the side track rails, and D the movable switch point. The extremity of the switch )oint is beveled downwardly and rearward y, as at I), as I find in practice thatthis greatly assists the operation of the point-by means of the shoes. The main rail A," adjacent to the switch point, is slightly cut away, as at a so as to permit the shoe21 to enter between the rail and the extremity of the switch point, the extremity of the switch point being beveled upon its side face to assist this operation. It will also be seen from Fig. 2 that when the switch point is thrown tothe guard rail B, it projects slightly beyond the bend of the guard rail so that ashoe moving along the guard rail will enter between the guard rail and the switch point. Of course a frog is provided at the junction of the side track rails C, with the main rail A. 7

The shoes 21 have their forward ends rounded upon the under face, as at 50, and one side face of the shoes is flat, while the other side face at the front of the shoe is beveled or wedge-shaped. The respective shoes are reversely beveled, and as a consequence, one of the shoes will act to force the switch point in one direction, While the opposite shoe will act to force it in the opposite direction. The under face of the point of the shoe is rounded to permit the shoe to operate the switch point properly, even though the car be depressed by a weight upon the front platform, or by an oscillating movement of the car. It will of course be evident that in operation, the motorman has observed how the switch point is thrown, and then depressed the proper plunger to throw the switch to the point desired, it being entirely within the motormans power to throw the switch point either to the main line or siding position.

I do not wish to be limited to the precise arrangement of levers and links whereby the plungers are depressed, as many changes might be made in these systems of levers without altering the character of the invention. The switches might be operated almost directly by the foot of the motorman were it notthat the plungers should be located just forward of the front wheel and the foot pieces should be located in the forward part of the front platform. Hence, the necessity of connecting the plungers to the foot piece by the links and. levers described.

While I have shown what I believe to be the preferable details of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to these, as it is ob vious that many minor changes might be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

My device is so constructed that it may be applied to any usual standard car, without making any alterations therein. It is of course best that the bracket 2 supporting the plungers should be placed as near to the front wheels as possible, though in advance thereof, as in this position, the oscillation of the car platform will have less effect upon the shoes than if the plungers were located at considerable distance forward of the wheels.

As previously stated, the bottom of the shoes is rounded upward toward the point, in order that the shoes may be lifted when they strike obstacles on the track. By rounding the shoes, they will ride over these obstacles, where otherwise they would stick. Furthermore, by rounding the bottom of the shoe, it gives a positive and direct ac tion upon the switch point, even though there be tilting or rocking of the car.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with a car platform is raised to prevent shock to the shoe.

and a wheeled truck supporting same, of a bracket supported beneath the car platform, said bracket being in two separable sections, bolts detachably holding the sections of the bracket to each other, said brackets being formed with a plurality of vertical bearings passing therethrough, half of each bearing being formed on the inner face of one bracket and half on the inner face of the other bracket, plungers vertically movable through the bearings, said plungers each carrying a wedge shaped shoe at its lower end, the shoe of one plunger being reversely disposed relative to the shoe on the other plunger, said plungers and bearings having one a downwardly extending groove whose lower end is held downward and around the axial center of the plunger, and the other having a projection engaging the said groove, the groove and projection of one bearing and plunger being oppositely disposed to the groove and projection of the other plunger and bearing, springs mounted in said bearing and acting to force the plungers upward, treadles mounted on the forward end of the car platform, and levers operatively connecting said treadles with the plungers.

2. The combination with a car platform, and a wheeled truck supporting the same, of a sectional bracket supported beneath the car platform, said bracket having two vertical bearing passages therein, a plunger mounted in each of the bearing passages, springs also mounted in said bearing passages and acting to move the plungers npward, mechanisms supported upon the car platform for depressing either one of the plungers independently of the other, means located within the bearing passages for rotating the plungers as they move downward, said means rotating one of the plungers in one direction and the other plunger in the opposite direction, and shoes carried upon the lower ends of the plungers, one of said shoes having one of its faces bevel and the other shoe having the opposite face beveled and being thereby adapted to be engaged with one or the other face of a switch point.

3. The combination with a car platform, of a bracket supported beneath the car platform and having a vertical bearing, a plunger vertically movable through the bearing and carrying a wedge-shaped shoe at its lower end, means for depressing said plunger, resilient means for raising the plunger, and a collar mounted on the plunger above the shoe and adapted to contact with the lower end of the bracket when the plunger 4. The combination of a car platform, of a bracket supported beneath the car plat form having a vertical bearing, a plunger vertically movable through the bearing, a wedge-shaped shoe rotatably mounted on the lower elder saidplunger, a set screw for holding the shoe in its adjusted position, he collar above said shoe having a screw threaded engagement with the plunger for I verticzi'lgadjustment, means for forcing the plunger downward, means for resiliently forcing the plunger upward, and means for rotating the plunger in one direction as it mOvsdownwardand in the otherdire'otion as it moves upward. v

5. The combination with a car platform,

7 of a, plunger mounted beneath the car platform and having a switch operating a shoe thereon, bearings supported upon the upper faceof the platform, at lever pivoted in said Copies of this patent may be obtaine for bearings, links between said lever and the plunger, whereby the latter maybe operated from the former, a foot plate pivotally supported upon the upper end of the lever, a

stop for 'preventing'the rotation of the foot 20 LEONARD z. PRESTON. [L.B.]

Witnesses:

W. A. PoR'rER', M. F. JUDD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

